A Retrospective Study on the Incidence of Pulmonary Embolism in Immobilized Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Cureus, 2023 · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.47691 · Published: October 25, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study investigates pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with spinal cord injuries, a major cause of complications and death. It looks at how often PE occurs and what factors might predict it. The study found that PE is a frequent problem in spinal cord injury patients, even when they receive treatments to prevent blood clots. No single factor was identified as a strong predictor of PE. The research suggests that if a patient with a spinal cord injury receives preventative treatment for blood clots, it is more likely that doctors will detect real blood clot events.

Study Duration

January 2018 to December 2019

Participants

373 spinal cord injury patients

Evidence Level

Retrospective study

Key Findings

1
The incidence of PE among spinal cord injury patients with VTE symptoms was 6.70%.
2
None of the variables analyzed (age and types of prophylaxis) could significantly predict the occurrence of VTE.
3
Patients who received any type of thromboprophylaxis were found to be statistically significant when compared to patients who did not receive any thromboprophylaxis in term of the presence of PE.

Research Summary

This retrospective study evaluated the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in spinal cord injury patients admitted to a tertiary hospital in Malaysia between 2018 and 2019. The study found that the incidence of PE among spinal cord injury patients with VTE symptoms was 6.70%. The study found no strong predictors for PE were identified. The study concludes that PE is a serious complication in immobilized spinal cord injury patients despite receiving thromboprophylaxis treatment and a larger prospective study is needed to further investigate the predictors for VTE in patients with spinal cord injury.

Practical Implications

Improved Prophylaxis Strategies

Further research should focus on identifying more effective prophylaxis strategies to reduce the incidence of PE in spinal cord injury patients.

Enhanced Monitoring

Vigilant monitoring for VTE symptoms is crucial in spinal cord injury patients, particularly those receiving thromboprophylaxis, to ensure timely detection and intervention.

Risk Factor Identification

Future studies should aim to identify specific risk factors for VTE in this population to enable targeted prevention efforts.

Study Limitations

1
Retrospective study design may be subject to bias, incomplete information, or misdiagnosis.
2
Confounding co-interventions such as the use of intermittent pneumatic compression could not be evaluated.
3
Small sample data may limit the identification of predictive risk factors for VTE.

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